staph

noun

ˈstaf 

: staphylococcus

also : an infection with staphylococci

Examples of staph in a Sentence

a resistant strain of staph

Recent Examples on the Web

Testing later revealed that the mass was caused by a staph infection that had settled in her spine and compressed her thoracic spinal cord at the T4-T5 level, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026

Margera tried to soothe the pain by submerging his fresh brand in a tub of filthy farm water, which resulted in a life-threatening staph infection that landed him in the hospital. — Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 2026

After an unimpressive Heat summer-league run under coach Erik Spoelstra in 2006 on a roster that included current Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Gansey contracted a life-threatening staph infection that proved to be MRSA. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2026

In those cases, staph can lead to blood infections, pneumonia, heart failure or stroke, or bone and joint infection and life-threatening conditions like sepsis and septic shock. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1933, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for staph

• calf
• chaff
• gaff
• graf
• graff
• graph
• haff
• half
• laugh
• raff
• staff
• autograph

Kids Definition

staph

noun

ˈstaf 

: staphylococcus

also : an infection with staphylococci

Medical Definition

staph

noun

ˈstaf 

: staphylococcus sense 2

also : an infection with staphylococci